Can a dream beat cancer? Parents of children who have been cured of cancer told the “braveblossomsfoundation” correspondent how music lifts them up, and trust in doctors and belief in themselves create a miracle.

“Your child has cancer” - these words divide life into before and after. The existence of every member of the family changes completely. All fears, worries, problems become unimportant. A common goal appears: to save a loved one.

Parents and medics together will have to save a little life, support brave patients, fight with domestic problems. All this is almost impossible to do without faith in victory, in the professionalism of doctors and sometimes - in miracles.

In most cases, parents of a sick child have to quit their jobs, as a rare employer will tolerate almost constant absences and sick leave.
“When my child fell ill, despite my high salary, I quit, although my boss was ready to pay for a babysitter. The choice between my career and my child was obvious,” says Anna Keysel, chairwoman of the European Association of Parents whose children had cancer.

According to her, a child's illness fundamentally changes his or her social circle, habits, family life, even nutrition. Not only the child gets sick, the whole family gets sick. 

Anna's son Georgy got leukemia when he was 2 years and 4 months old. During a routine test, doctors gave the boy a terrible diagnosis.

“I consider myself a strong person, but at that moment the ground went out from under my feet. The whole world collapsed, I didn't know how we would live on, what would happen to us,” Anna Keisel recalls.

For a week, the diagnosis was clarified. Anna admits that when it became clear that it was acute lymphoblastic leukemia, she felt happy. This type of leukemia gives a very good chance of recovery - 85% of children survive.

“Of course, we had huge problems during treatment: sepsis, multi-organ failure, two strokes. Now Georgiy has very strong neurocognitive disorders: although he is in the second grade, but only learns to read and write, because the whole last year was spent on overcoming problems after chemotherapy,” she shares.

The treatment yielded results - Georgiy went into remission. He is now undergoing recuperative therapy.

“When we first learned the diagnosis, I really wanted to find parents whose child had the same disease and survived. Any kind of support was important - from information to simple faith in the best,” says Anna.

When Georgiy went into remission, his mom began to help other parents in similar situations.

Sometimes Georgiy himself helps his mom. When he sees his parents crying in the hospital, he approaches them and says: “Don't worry. I was sick too and got cured. Everything will be fine.

Music makes life

William wasn't used to complaining. When his health problems began, he simply thought it was the strain of school. He was taken away by ambulance straight from the central music school at the Moscow State Conservatory, where he studies.

The talented musician at the age of 14 faced a terrible diagnosis - leukemia.

“We immediately believed that everything would work out. I understood that we had to fight and victory would be ours. William was brought up in such a way: one must not give up under any circumstances,” says his mother Nadezhda. 

The young man did not allow the disease to overcome him morally for a minute. While in the intensive care unit, between procedures he read poetry aloud. When he was transferred to the ward, he used every opportunity to rehearse.

The young man was very supported by his friends. Once his classmates came to the hospital together with his class teacher. The guests organized a small concert for the staff and young patients of the clinic.

Now William is in remission. He is returning to concert activities.

“Fear paralyzes and leads to inaction. You should fully trust doctors, do not interfere with questions, do not get into the Internet, because it is very frightening what is written there, and the information is very often unreliable. It can be very confusing and frightening,” Nadezhda emphasizes.

You get sick, but life doesn't stop
“When a person is sick, it is necessary to set a goal and go to it. You need to understand: you are sick, but life has not stopped,” says Sergei Sharikov.

The head of the project “UchimZnaem” emphasizes that patients should definitely help themselves. There are studies that show that medical drugs, even the most wonderful, if they are taken against the background of depressed emotional state, despondency, grief, do not give the effect that is needed.

“One should not create the illusion that one can do without treatment. Serious good treatment is necessary. But if you do not help yourself, it is very difficult to cope with this disease,” explains Sergei Sharikov.